View source for Ebbw Vale RFC

{{For|the defunct rugby league club|Ebbw Vale RLFC}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname    = Ebbw Vale RFC
| fullname    = Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club
| nickname    = The Steelmen
| image       = New ebbw vale rfc logo.png
| location    = [[Ebbw Vale]], [[Wales]]
| founded     = 1879<ref>Smith (1980) p. 11</ref>
| ground      = [[Eugene Cross Park|Ciner Glass Community Stadium]]
| capacity    = 8,000
| president   = 
| chairman    = 
| coach       = Jason Strange
| captain     = Joe Franchi
| league      = [[Super Rygbi Cymru]]
| season = 2024-2025
  | position = [[Super Rygbi Cymru]], 2nd 
| url         = www.evrfc.co.uk
| pattern_la1 = _redshoulders |pattern_b1 = _greenredwhitehoops |pattern_ra1 = _redshoulders
| leftarm1    = DE0005 |body1 = 006400 |rightarm1 = DE0005 |shorts1 = DE0005 |socks1 = 114511
| pattern_la2 = |pattern_b2 = _bulls12aw |pattern_ra2 = 
| leftarm2    = F052A6 |body2 = |rightarm2 = F052A6 |shorts2 = F052A6 |socks2 = F052A6
}}
'''Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club''' ({{langx|cy|'''Clwb Rygbi Glyn Ebwy'''}}) is a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Rugby Union]] Club based in the town of [[Ebbw Vale]], [[Blaenau Gwent]], [[South Wales]].

The club play in the [[Super Rygbi Cymru]] and act as a [[feeder club]] for the [[Dragons (rugby union)|Dragons]] regional team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3877085.stm |title=Wales' regional rugby map |work=BBC News|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=8 July 2004 |access-date=2008-05-20}}</ref>

==History==

Evidence of rugby union being played in Ebbw Vale is noted around 1879. Ebbw Vale RFC applied for and achieved [[Welsh Rugby Union]] (then known as the Welsh Football Union) membership between 1893 and 1894.<ref>Smith (1980) p. 101</ref>

In 1907, the committee of Ebbw Vale rugby club voted 63–20 to switch from amateur rugby union to professional [[rugby league]]. Deals were made with the Northern Union, and on 26 July 1907 Ebbw Vale RFC became [[Ebbw Vale RLFC]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lush |first=Peter |author2=Farrar, Dave |title=Tries in the Valley: A History of Rugby League in Wales |year=1998 |publisher=London League Publications |location=London|page=24 |isbn=0-9526064-3-7}}</ref> The club, its players and members were all suspended from rugby union activities by the Welsh Rugby Union, though after Ebbw Vale RLFC collapsed in 1912, Ebbw Vale were readmitted as a union team after World War I.<ref>Smith (1980) p. 180</ref>

In 1927 due to falling gate receipts, caused by the increasing attraction of rival sports such as football, Ebbw Vale staged a [[rugby league]] game on their pitch, the Welfare Ground. The WRU reacted strongly and threatened Ebbw Vale RFC with expulsion from the league. This was seen by many as an overly aggressive stance to a club that was desperate for aid not sanctions. By 1932 the gate at Ebbw Vale rarely reached twenty shillings, despite a catchment area population of 40,000. The club was forced to resort to public subscriptions.<ref>Smith (1980) pp. 227–268</ref>

Rugby union continued in Ebbw Vale during [[World War II]] due to the vital services provided by the steel and coal industry and Ebbw Vale was undefeated in 1940/1941.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} But by the mid-1950s Ebbw Vale RFC was once again becoming a prosperous club. Although seen as one of the most successful clubs on and off the playing field throughout the 1950s, Ebbw Vale was under-represented in the Welsh national team.<ref>Smith (1980) p. 365</ref> Around the same time joint teams drawn from Ebbw Vale and neighbours Abertillery played New Zealand, Australia and South Africa international touring sides. These games were usually close encounters but with only one win – against Australia in 1958.
In the 60/61 season the Athletic side, captained by Ken Cameron, lost only one game. Their players were a consistent source of supply to the 1st XV.
The club has the dubious distinction of being on the receiving end of the heaviest defeat in [[Heineken Cup]] history going down 108–16 away to [[Stade Toulousain|Toulouse]] in 1998 conceding 16 tries in the process. Although Ebbw Vale did have revenge, defeating [[Stade Toulousain|Toulouse]] in the return fixture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5377_9503.php|title=European Rugby Cup|publisher=ERC|access-date=2009-03-06}}</ref>

In April 2010 the club's relegation to [[WRU Division One East]] was confirmed.

In April 2011 Ebbw Vale were crowned [[WRU Division One East]] Champions after gaining a bonus point win in their final league game at [[Bedlinog RFC|Bedlinog]]. In what was a remarkable run-in to the end of the season, Ebbw picked up 44 league points from their final 9 league games (out of a possible 45) to overhaul [[Newbridge RFC|Newbridge]] and win the league title at the first attempt.

In April 2012 Ebbw Vale retained the [[WRU Division One East]] title with one game in hand, following a 52–0 victory over [[Tredegar RFC|Tredegar]]. The season was also marked by a remarkable cup run which saw them defeat [[Newport RFC|Newport]], [[Carmarthen Quins RFC|Carmerthen Quins]] and [[Swansea RFC|Swansea]], before drawing 19–19 to [[Cross Keys RFC|Cross Keys]] in the semi-final (Cross Keys subsequently progressed by virtue of tries scored 2–1).

In April 2013 Ebbw Vale were crowned inaugural champions of the newly formed [[Welsh Championship|WRU National Championship]], pitting the best teams from east and west against one another. In a season that marked the club's third league title win in a row the Steelmen won 23 of 24 league games, breaking the 1000 point barrier in the process.

In April 2014 Ebbw Vale were again crowned champions of the [[Welsh Championship|WRU National Championship]], this time gaining promotion to the [[Principality Premiership]]. They won 25 out of 26 games and amassed another 1000 point season.

In the 2015/16 season the club achieved a new height, winning the Premiership title for the first time.

== Colours and badge ==
The club colours changed from black and amber to red, white and green in the 1930s. The change may have been made by Dai Regan Jones, who had played for Leicester RFC.

Their home colours of green, white and red represent the colours of the Welsh national flag with the second-choice shirt coloured light blue. The club's badge like many other clubs in [[Wales]] has a [[Welsh Dragon|red dragon]] on it. The dragon is standing over a golden gate or drawbridge, over the dragons head is a semicircle with the club's motto of ''Iach Gorff Iach Meddwl''. This semicircle is part of a bridge shape which is coloured in the club's and Welsh colours of red, green and white. All of this is incorporated into a shield shape with the club's name Ebbw Vale RFC embroidered on the bottom.

==Club's motto==

The club's motto is '''"Iach Gorff Iach Feddwl"''', the Welsh for '''"Healthy Body Healthy Mind"'''. The origin of this motto is speculative but this is an old proverb in the Welsh Language.

==Current squad==

{{rugby squad start}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FB | name=Will Hodnett }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FB | name=Tom McAloon }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FB | name=Spencer Cawley }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=WG | name=Wes Cunliffe }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=WG | name=Sion Jones }} 
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=WG | name=Luke Davies }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=WG | name=David James }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=WG | name=Mike Powell }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Leighton Bellamore }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Jordan Howells }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=David James }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Josh Peace }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Jack Flower }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Joe Evans }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Tom MacPherson }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=CE | name=Mike Powell }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FH | name=Ian Smerdon }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FH | name= }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FH | name=Dan Haymond }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=SH | name=Rhys Downes }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=SH | name=Chris Thomas }}
{{rugby squad mid}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=SH | name=Liam Roberts }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=PR | name=Ross Jones }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=PR | name=Robert Sevenoaks }} 
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=PR | name=John Lavender }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=HK | name=Mathew Williams }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=HK | name=Joe Franchi }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=HK | name=Jonny Bowen }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=LK | name=[[Damien Hudd]] }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=LK | name=Ashley Sweet }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=LK | name=Daniel Lewis }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=LK | name=Rhys Clarke }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=LK | name=Joe Bartlett }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FL | name=Gareth Davies }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FL | name=Kier Hughes }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FL | name=Harrison Keddie }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FL | name=Ronny Kynes }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FL | name=Cameron Regan }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FL | name=Gareth Williams }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=N8 | name=David Barry }}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=N8 | name=Spencer Gibson }}
{{rugby squad end}}

==Club honours==
* Unofficial Welsh Club Champions 1952, 1954, 1957, 1960.
* [[Snelling Sevens]] 1958 – Champions
* Welsh Cup Runners-up 1998–99
* [[WRU Division One East]] 2010–11 – Champions
* [[WRU Division One East]] 2011–12 – Champions
* WRU Championship 2012–13 – Champions
* WRU Championship 2013–14 – Champions
* [[Welsh Premier Division|Principality Premiership]] 2015–16 – Champions

==Notable former players==
The players listed below have played or coached rugby union or rugby league at international level and have represented or coached Ebbw Vale. 
:''See also [[:Category:Ebbw Vale RFC players]]''

{|border="0" cellpadding="10"
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable" 
|- 
! Nationality
! Name
! Caps
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Allan Bateman]] ||35 International
|-
|{{flagicon|ENG}} ||[[Duncan Bell (rugby union)|Duncan Bell]] ||5 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Nathan Budgett]] ||12 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Clive Burgess]] ||9 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Richie Collins]] ||28 International
|-
|{{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} ||[[Guy Easterby]] ||28 international
|-
|{{flagicon|TON}} ||[[Kuli Faletau]] ||20 international
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[John Funnell]] ||2 international
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Byron Hayward]] ||2 International
|-
|{{flagicon|ENG}} ||[[Simon Hunt (rugby union)|Simon Hunt]] ||0 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Deiniol Jones]] ||13 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Graham Jones (rugby union)|Graham Jones]] ||3 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Kingsley Jones (rugby union, born 1969)|Kingsley Jones]] ||10 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Glyn Turner]] ||2 international
|-
|}
|
||
{| class="wikitable"
|- 
! Nationality
! Name
! Caps
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Mark Jones (rugby, born 1965)|Mark Jones]] ||15 international
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Arthur Lewis (rugby union)|Arthur Lewis]] ||11 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Dan Lydiate]] ||27 International
|-
||{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[David Nash (rugby union)|David Nash]] ||6 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Graham Powell]] ||2 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Paul Ringer]] ||8 International
|-
|{{flagicon|SCO}} ||[[Arthur Smith (rugby union)|Arthur Smith]] ||33 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Richard Smith (rugby union, born 1973)|Richard Smith]] ||1 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Iestyn Thomas]] ||33 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Paul Thorburn]] ||37 International
|-
|{{flagicon|TON}} ||[[Josh Taumalolo]] ||31 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Ian Watkins (rugby union)|Ian Watkins]] ||10 International
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Denzil Williams]] ||36 international
|}
|}

==Notable former coaches and management staff==
{| class="wikitable"
|- 
! Nationality
! Name
! Role
|-
|{{flagicon|ENG}} ||[[Alex Codling]] ||Head and Forwards Coach
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Byron Hayward]] ||Head coach
|-
|{{flagicon|ENG}} ||[[Richard Hill (scrum-half)|Richard Hill]] ||Backs Coach
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Leigh Jones]] ||Head coach
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Lyn Jones]] ||Head coach
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Christian Loader]] ||Forwards Coach
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Rowland Phillips (rugby)|Rowland Phillips]] ||Defence/head coach
|-
|{{flagicon|WAL}} ||[[Mike Ruddock]] ||Head coach
|}

==Games played against international opposition==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Year
!Date
!Opponent
!Result
!Score
!Tour
|-
|1953<sup>1</sup>
|23 December
|{{ru|NZ}}
|Loss
|3–22
|[[1953–54 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/MatchDetail.aspx?m=108436 |title=Newport Gwent Dragons |access-date=5 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617052943/http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/MatchDetail.aspx?m=108436 |archive-date=17 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|1958<sup>1</sup>
|8 January
|{{ru|AUS}}
|Won
|6–5
|[[1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France]]
|-
|1960<sup>1</sup>
|29 November
|{{ru|RSA}}
|Loss
|0–3
|[[1960–61 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/MatchDetail.aspx?m=108019 |title=Newport Gwent Dragons |access-date=5 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617053215/http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/MatchDetail.aspx?m=108019 |archive-date=17 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|1963<sup>1</sup>
|6 November
|{{ru|NZ}}
|Loss
|0–13
|[[1963–64 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/MatchDetail.aspx?m=107820 |title=Newport Gwent Dragons |access-date=5 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617053128/http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/MatchDetail.aspx?m=107820 |archive-date=17 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
|1979
|22 September
|{{ru|ROM}}
|Loss
|0–12
|[[1979 Romania rugby union tour of Wales]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Vivian |author-link=Vivian Jenkins|title=Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1980–81|year=1980 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |isbn= 0-362-02018-3|pages=50–51}}</ref> 
|-
|1987
|24 October
|{{ru|USA}}
|Win
|16–14
|[[1987 United States rugby union tour of Wales]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Stephen |title=Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89|year=1988 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |isbn= 0-356-15884-5|pages=30–32 }}</ref> 
|}
<sup>1</sup>A joint Ebbw Vale and [[Abertillery RFC|Abertillery]] side.

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.evrfc.co.uk/}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=David |author2=Williams, Gareth |title=Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union |year=1980 |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff|isbn=0-7083-0766-3}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

{{Welsh Premier Division}}
{{United Rugby Championship}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rugby clubs established in 1879]]
[[Category:Rugby union teams in Wales]]
[[Category:Ebbw Vale]]
[[Category:1879 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Sport in Blaenau Gwent]]
[[Category:United Rugby Championship teams]]